Tag Archives: cabin crew

IndiGo to increase women pilots to 1,000 in a year

IndiGo aims to increase the number of women pilots in its workforce to over 1,000 in the next year as the country’s largest airline steers ahead with efforts to boost diversity and inclusivity.

The airline, which is expanding its fleet and network, currently, has over 800 women pilots.

Sukhjit S Pasricha, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at IndiGo, said the airline is driving inclusiveness in a big way by working in every area, including among engineering and flying staff.

“In every work area, we are driving diversity and inclusivity. We have a 360-degree approach to it… we have grown by about 30 per cent in terms of women in engineering overall,” he told PTI.

According to him, the airline has the highest number of women pilots, which is now at over 800.

The airline has around 14 per cent women pilots compared to the global average of 7-9 per cent women pilots in the workforce.

“We will cross the number of 1,000 women pilots in one year (by August 2025),” he said.

The airline, which operates over 2,000 flights daily, has more than 5,000 pilots at present.

On Wednesday, IndiGo inducted 77 women pilots for its Airbus and ATR planes to celebrate 77 years of the country’s independence.

As of March 31, 2024, the airline had 36,860 permanent employees, including 5,038 pilots and 9,363 cabin crew. The count included 713 women pilots.

It also has employees from the LGBTQ segment.

Within the airline, the overall female representation stood at 44 per cent and female leadership at 18 per cent as of March 31 this year, as per its 2023-24 annual report.

As part of IATA’s ’25 by 2025′ initiative, the carrier is targeting to have 25 per cent female leadership and 50 per cent female representation in our overall workforce in IndiGo.

Pasricha said the number of people with disabilities in the workforce has doubled in the last year.

In the annual report, the airline also said its team comprises around 200 employees with disabilities, including those with locomotor, visual, hearing, and/or speech impairments. “This is an increase from 11 employees in FY 2022 and 86 in FY 2023,” it added.

MoCA seeks report on 80 AI Express flights being cancelled due to ‘mass sick leave’

Over 80 international and domestic flights of Air India Express were cancelled after the senior crew members of the airline went on mass ‘sick leave’.

The development came after several cabin crew members started reporting sick since Monday evening and as there are not enough cabin crew members, “scores of flights” have been cancelled at various airports, including Kochi, Calicut and Bengaluru, reports News18.

According to sources, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is looking into the issue to understand the cause of the sudden incident.

Releasing a statement, the Air India Express said, “A section of our cabin crew has reported sick last minute, starting last night, resulting in flight delays and cancellations. While we are engaging with the crew to understand the reasons behind these occurrences our teams are actively addressing this issue to minimise any inconvenience caused.”

“We sincerely apologise to our guests…those impacted will be offered a full refund or rescheduling. Guests flying us today are requested to check if the flight is affected, before heading to the airport,” the statement added.

A union representing a section of the airlines’ cabin crew, Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), also wrote to the Chairman of Air India Natarajan Chandrashekharan, talking about the grievances of employees and raised concerns regarding the current situation at Air India Express Limited, particularly following its acquisition by TATA.

The union alleged that the airline is being mismanaged and there is a lack of equality in the treatment of the staff and alleged that mismanagement of the affairs has affected the morale of the employees.

“It is with great disappointment that we address the growing unrest and dissatisfaction among the employees since the takeover by TATA. However, it appears that the reality on the ground does not align with these principles. Despite assurances of job security, salary maintenance, and respect for seniority and experience, there has been a stark departure from these commitments,” the letter read.

Hours after the news of Air India Express flights getting cancelled grabbed headlines, the MoCA sought a report on the cancellations and asked the airlines to ensure facilities for passengers as per the norms laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

In addition to this, the Ministry asked the carrier, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India, to resolve the issue “promptly”. (Source: News18)

British Airways unveils new website & app as part of its GBP 7bn transformation plan

British Airways has announced an array of new initiatives to transform the airline, unveiling a GBP 7bn transformation plan at its first ‘In the Skies’ showcase event in London.

Sean Doyle, Chairman and CEO, outlined his modernisation plan, committing to delivering a world-class customer experience, modernising IT, growing pride among colleagues and focusing on sustainability, as well as driving on-time performance.

“We’re on a journey to a better BA for our people and for our customers, underpinned by a transformation programme that will see us invest £7bn over the next two years to revolutionise our business,” Doyle said. “We’re going to take delivery of new aircraft, introduce new cabins, elevate our customer care, focus on operational performance and address our environmental impact by reducing our emissions and creating a culture of sustainability. We’re also heavily investing in the development of a new ba.com website and app and are laser-focused on transforming our business and fixing any pain points for our customers.”

Ba.com and app
As part of its investment programme, British Airways has confirmed plans to overhaul its digital user experience with a new website and mobile app offering deeper personalisation. The new ba.com browser is already in BETA testing with platforms designed to offer a range of new services, including empowering customers to self-serve if they wish, taking control of and making changes to their journeys online, rather than having to call one of the airline’s customer care centres to alter their plans. Initial changes will start to roll out by the end of the year.

WiFi enhancements for customers
With more customers looking to remain connected with the world from their seats, from April 3, British Airways Executive Club Members will start to be able to send messages free of charge on a single device using the airline’s WiFi – whatever cabin they’re travelling in. The service will be available on every WiFi-enabled aircraft within two weeks of the rollout date*.

The airline has also become the first to offer a WiFi-enabled inflight customer care solution to solve issues in the moment – even at 35,000ft. Created especially for British Airways by Microsoft, customer care teams on the ground are now able to connect with cabin crew colleagues across more than 300 flights a day. The functionality allows crew to help solve any unexpected issues before a flight lands at one of the airline’s more than 200 destinations.

 

Saudia unveils new brand identity in line with vision for digital transformation

Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, revealed its new brand identity and livery during a milestone event in Jeddah, in the presence of Royal Highnesses, Excellencies and leaders from both the public and private sectors, as well as prominent media correspondents and aviation experts.

This new identity is in line with a wider strategic digital transformation plan aimed at strengthening the airline’s support for the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to bring the world to Saudi Arabia.

The rebrand marks the beginning of a new era for Saudia, introducing innovative concepts in terms of customer services with a strong focus on digital aspects and enhancing the guest experience by celebrating Saudi culture. This transformation reinforces Saudia ‘s national identity as it reimagines all products and services to engage all five senses. Guests can anticipate an authentic Saudi experience during their journey, showcasing the very best of Saudi Arabia and its rich culture. This includes a distinctive fragrance and sonic identity, locally inspired cuisine, all crafted by skilled Saudi craftsmen. This new identity mirrors Saudi Arabia’s welcoming spirit, leaving guests with a deep sense of the country’s warmth and hospitality, while promoting a deeper appreciation of Saudi culture for both nationals and visitors. The rebrand also encompasses new uniforms for cabin crew and ground staff.

The new brand colour identity, comprising green, blue, and sand, represent Saudia’s aim to expand its fleet and destinations, connecting the world to Saudi Arabia, emphasising the Kingdom’s authenticity and deep-rooted values.

In parallel to the rebrand, Saudia has also undertaken a huge digital transformation, entirely enhancing the customer digital experience. Saudia leads among international airlines in operating generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a virtual assistant, named “SAUDIA”, being one of the first of its kind in the region. Saudia will enable guests to complete the entire transaction through this efficient process by the end of the year.

The ambitious, long-planned digital transformation, fully improve customer experience, but also allow more streamlined operations and processes while ensuring the highest levels of protection of guests’ personal data, through strong partnerships with global leading companies.

His Excellency Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General, Saudia Group, said, “We are experiencing a new era and a very exciting time for Saudia. Our airline has evolved from a Douglas DC-3 aircraft in 1945, to a 140-aircraft modern fleet serving over 100 destinations, becoming one of the largest airline in the region.

The name and logo of Saudia are integral parts of the Kingdom’s aviation history and development, and our people share a special emotional connection with the brand. We have incorporated this rich heritage into our new identity, adding elements that reflect our visionary approach, poised to captivate the world.”

Saudia is not only rolling out a fully integrated digital programme and revamping its look, it is also effectively and quickly helping advance Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, collaborating with all industry stakeholders to achieve the targets of the National Aviation Strategy. The strategy aims to turn Saudi Arabia into a leader in the global industry, by enhancing the customer experience, improving safety and working towards a more sustainable future, in line with Saudia’s expansion goals to bring around 330 million visitors to the Kingdom by 2030.

 

 

 

 

 

Go First left with only 100 pilots amid delay in resuming operations: Sources

The delay in reviving Go First has adversely impacted its workforce with no salaries since three months. According to sources, the airline hasn’t paid employees since May 2023 and as the revival takes longer, these employees are taking up jobs at other airlines.

According to sources, 500 of the 600 Go First pilots have quit and joined other airlines including Air India and IndiGo which have been expanding their operations aggressively leaving Go First with only 100 pilots as of now.

It is not just pilots, the airline has lost about 1,200 employees since July including cabin crew and Aircraft Maintenance Engineers. It had 4,200 employees as on July 10 when it invited Expression of Interest from potential buyers. That number has fallen to a little over 3,000 employees currently.

It doesn’t stop here, the employee count is expected to fall further to 2,400 or 2,500 by mid-September as 500 to 600 more employees have quit and are serving notice period.

Apart from salaries, another reason for employees’ frustration is the lack of clarity on the airline to resume operations. (Source: CNBC TV18)

Air India to hire 900 pilots, 4,200 crew

The Tata group-led Air India will hire 4,200 cabin crew and 900 pilots through 2023 to support its fleet expansion plans, the company said.

Air India Ltd made aviation history with the biggest aircraft order ever, agreeing to purchase 840 aircraft, including 470 firm orders, from Boeing and Airbus that will help the Tata group airline expand its horizons in India and abroad.

The first aircraft to arrive will be 25 brand-new Boeing B737-800s and 6 Airbus A350-900s in the second half of the year, with deliveries really ramping up in 2025 and beyond. The airline has also announced plans to lease 36 aircraft of which two B 777-200 LR have already joined the fleet.

The cabin crew will undergo a 15-week programme. The training programme will include extensive classroom and in-flight training at the airline’s training facility in Mumbai as well as familiarization flights, the airline said.

The airline has already hired 1,900 cabin crew between May 2022 and February this year.

Out of this, over 1,100 cabin crew have been trained in the last seven months, and in the past three months, approximately 500 cabin crew have been released for flying by the airline.

“Cabin crew will play a decisive role in shaping the present and future of the Air India group. Addition of fresh talent will also accelerate the pace of cultural transformation at Air India, which is an integral part of our Vihaan.AI transformation program. We are also looking to step up hiring of more pilots and maintenance engineers,” Sandeep Verma, head-inflight services, said.